Mr. Brandush has 31 years of healthcare experience. He began his Federal career in 1992 with the Peace Corps, where he served as a Health Care Instructor for two years in Sao Tome, West Africa. Following his time in the Peace Corps, Mr. Brandush worked in various health care settings in the private sector before returning to Federal service in 2010 after being hired as a long-term care (LTC) Nurse Consultant Surveyor for the CMS Division of Survey & Certification in Chicago. In 2013, he was promoted to the LTC Enforcement Branch Manager position and then moved into the Deputy Associate Regional Administer position for region 5. In these roles, Mr. Brandush collaborated with internal and external partners by providing guidance, identifying opportunities for improvement, and developing strategies and tools to resolve concerns related to the health and safety of those the CMS programs serve. In 2020, Mr. Brandush was named Division Director for the CMS Chicago Survey & Operations Group, and in 2022, he was selected as the Director of the Division of Clinical Laboratory Improvement & Quality (DCLIQ) within QSOG. Mr. Brandush holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies, and a Juris Doctor degree.

Mrs. Briggs is the new Field Director for the Joint Commission’s Laboratory Accreditation Program. She is responsible for the management and oversight of the field staff that conduct laboratory accreditation surveys. Prior to her role as Field Director, Harriet was a laboratory surveyor.

Prior to joining The Joint Commission, Mrs. Briggs was the Corporate Laboratory Manager at Prime Healthcare in Ontario, CA, and the Laboratory Administrative Director at Hunt Regional Healthcare in Greenville, TX.

Mrs. Briggs also has 12 years of experience in the area of laboratory quality assurance, with responsibilities for laboratory accreditation and related activities within a multi-hospital healthcare system in Texas and Florida. She has experience working with many laboratory accrediting agencies throughout her career including the American Association of Blood Banks, the College of American Pathologists, the Commission on Office Laboratory Accreditation, The Joint Commission, and the American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics.

Mrs. Briggs graduated from Nova Southeastern University in Davie, FL with a master’s degree in business administration with a concentration in Healthcare Administration. She also obtained a bachelor’s degree in medical technology from Florida International University in Miami, FL. Her degree in medical technology gave her the foundation in clinical laboratory services where she was a medical technologist at both hospital laboratory and reference laboratories. Mrs. Briggs currently holds the Clinical Laboratory Technologist license in the State of Florida.

Dr. James Crawford is professor and chair emeritus of the department of pathology and laboratory medicine at Northwell Health, having served as chair from 2009-2023. Over the past 15 years he has provided leadership of laboratory services at Northwell Health, and at the national level has been a strong advocate for the importance of in-system clinical laboratories in integrated delivery networks. He is a leading proponent of the role of pathology and the clinical laboratory in patient-centered care and value-based care. As a founding member of the Project Santa Fe Foundation and Chair of the Board of Directors, he is a leader in the effort to develop the value statements for laboratory diagnostic services in the next era of health care. He is founding Editor-in-Chief of Academic Pathology, the official journal of the Association of Pathology Chairs (APC). He is the 2021 recipient of the APC Distinguished Service Award.

Justin Cox currently serves as the System Laboratory Director for Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS), overseeing 13 laboratories across the organization. He began his career as a Medical Laboratory Scientist after graduating from Blackburn College in 2005.

Throughout his 18-year tenure with HSHS, Justin has been deeply committed to process improvement and laboratory standardization, driving projects that have had a transformative impact on operations. He is currently overseeing key standardization initiatives aimed at enhancing efficiency and quality across the system’s laboratories.

Beyond his work within the healthcare system, Justin is actively involved in his local community. He serves as a coach for various youth sports teams and volunteers his time to several local organizations. His commitment to both his profession and his community reflects his passion for serving others.

Justin holds a Master of Business Administration from Greenville University and has been recognized for his leadership through accolades such as HSHS Leader of the Year, Lean Green Belt certification, 7 Habits facilitator, ICAHN representative, Just Culture certified, and being nominated for the ASCP 40 Under 40 award.

Elia M. Mears, MS MT(ASCP)SM is a Laboratory Field Surveyor for the Laboratory Accreditation Program of The Joint Commission since 2012. Prior to her present position, she was Director of Laboratory Services at LSUHSC-Leonard J Chabert Medical Center in Houma, Louisiana. She earned her two undergraduate degrees from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, and received her Master of Science degree from the University of St Francis in Joliet, Illinois. She also completed the Notre Dame Executive Management Program.

Ms. Mears has been an active member of AACC since 1992. She is a member of the Nutrition Division, having served as Treasurer (1998 and 1999), Chair Elect (2002 and 2003) and (2012 and 2013), Chair (2004 and 2005) and (2014 and 2015) and Secretary (2016 and 2017). She was also a member of the Personalized Medicine Division where she served as Secretary. She is presently on the Critical Point of Care Division and a member of the Southeast Section where she serves as the present Secretary-Treasurer. Ms. Mears has served in different roles in the AACC, having been on the Nominating Committee, on the Editorial Board of Clinical Lab News, on three previous Annual Meeting Organizing Committees, on the AACC Finance Committee and on the Education Core Committee. She was on the 2023 Annual Meeting Organizing Committee, and the Point of Care Certification Board. She is presently on the Clinical Lab News Board of Editors and ADLM CLS Council.

Ms. Mears has authored numerous articles in the field of nutrition and has lectured on nutritional aspects of the hospitalized patients both nationally and internationally. She was the recipient of the Nutrition Division 2001 Gary-Labbe Award for outstanding contributions in advancing Nutrition Chemistry. Most recently, she was awarded the ADLM 2023 CLS Achievement Award (formerly AACC).

Heather Hurley is the Executive Director of Laboratory Business Development at The Joint Commission. In this role, Ms. Hurley is responsible for leading business strategies and activities, including the development and implementation of products and services, for the Joint Commission’s Laboratory Accreditation Program, which accredits approximately 1,500 U.S. organizations providing clinical and reference laboratory services. Ms. Hurley also leads the Joint Commission’s Laboratory Accreditation Advisory Council and similar groups, and serves as liaison to associations, collaborative partners, and accrediting and regulatory bodies in the laboratory field. In addition, she provides technical oversight and assistance in support of the development of laboratory accreditation manuals, standards, education programs, and other accreditation-related materials.

Ms. Hurley has more than 13 years of commercial experience in the life sciences market, most recently serving as the director of sales for the Life Science Reagent Business Unit at Affymetrix, Inc., Santa Clara, California. In this role, she was responsible for the company’s direct and indirect selling channels in North America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Ms. Hurley managed products related to molecular biology enzymes and reagents, biochemical, and cell signaling/gene regulation to reach a variety of customer segments, including diagnostics, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, academic, and government research institutions. Prior to her commercial experience, she began her professional career as a laboratory technologist in the Department of Molecular Genetics at the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, working in the area of gene expression.

Ms. Hurley received her Bachelor of Science degree in biological science from Ohio University, Athens, Ohio.

Ms. Tarleton is a career-long laboratory professional with concentrated and diverse medical laboratory experience in education, management, independent consulting, supervisory, laboratory specialist and laboratory generalist positions in large academic teaching institutions, hospital systems, independent medical centers, veterinary hospitals, and private laboratories. After spending her early years in northern New Jersey, Tarleton migrated south to complete a B.S. in Medical Technology at Wake Forest University and Bowman Gray School of Medicine. Additional education includes a Master of Public Health from the University of Georgia (Health Policy and Management), and an internship with the Georgia Institute of Technology Healthcare Performance Group applying LEAN performance improvement methods to laboratory and clinical healthcare settings in the Atlanta area.

Tarleton’s most recent positions include the Administrative Director of Laboratory Services at Blount Memorial Hospital in Maryville, TN, the Manager of Microbiology for Carolinas Medical Center and the Carolinas Laboratory Network (currently Atrium Health), Charlotte, NC, and multiple supervisory roles in Microbiology, Transfusion Services, Pathology, Quality Assurance, and Point-of-Care Testing at Athens Regional Medical Center (currently Piedmont Athens Regional) in Athens, GA.

Tarleton is passionate about laboratory quality and patient safety and has hands-on experience navigating the laboratory proficiency testing process, leveraging proficiency testing results to continuously improve, and investigating proficiency testing issues to remain in regulatory compliance. Her dedication led to her current role as a Field Surveyor for The Joint Commission Laboratory Program, which she has held since January 2021.

When not surveying, Tarleton enjoys leisure travel, RV adventures, kayaking, hiking, trumpet lessons, and spending time with her family.

Tarleton currently resides in Athens, GA with an enthusiastic community of University of Georgia supporters of academics, athletics, and the performing arts.

Cherie J. Ulaskas is an Associate Director in the Department of Standards Interpretation at The Joint Commission. Her responsibilities include responding to external and internal customer inquiries regarding standards interpretation and working with organizations during the post-survey process. She also serves as faculty for surveyor and other education programs and consults on the development of standards and the survey process. In this capacity, she interprets standards for all Joint Commission accreditation programs and primarily interprets for the Laboratory programs.

Ms. Ulaskas has worked for The Joint Commission since 1989. She has held positions in Accreditation Operations, Department of Standards, and Joint Commission Resources. She also worked as a Medical Technologist at St. James Medical Center in Illinois before joining The Joint Commission.

Ms. Ulaskas earned undergraduate degrees in Biological Sciences from Southern Illinois University and Medical Technology from Governors State University. In addition, she received a Master’s degree in Communication from Governors State University. She also served as adjunct facility at Robert Morris University.